Conveyer system



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CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed March 8, 1935 es Sheets-Sheet s Get. 4, 1938.,

6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Marph 8, 1935 Patented Oct. 4, 1938 PATENT OFFlCE CONVEYER SYSTEM John E. Regan, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to The Lamson Company, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts.

Application March 8, 1935, Serial No. 9,993

2 Claims.

The features of this invention reside in the provision of means at the corners of the track which engage the cars'to maintain them in the desired planes during their passage around the "corners from one level to another; the provision of means for taking up the slack in the chain; and in other details of structure and operation as will appear from a consideration of the following description and of the drawings which I form a part thereof, and in which Fig. lis a view in side elevation of a system embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the driving unit of the system;

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is is a view in side elevation of one corner of the systemj Fig. 5 is a view partlyin elevation and partly in section taken along the line 55 on Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and '7 illustrate details of the track structure;

. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating the passage of a car around a corner;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a car adapted to use in the system;

Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation thereof;

FigQll is a view in elevation of a portion of the car;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line lZ-IZ on Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. l of a portion of another system embodying this invention and having vertical runs;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged side elevation of a corner of the system shown in Fig. 13; and

Fig. 15 is an end elevation of such corner.

The typical conveyer system shown in Fig. 1 comprises a pair of parallel tracks !5 and i6 supported upon a frame made up of vertical uprights ll, horizontal rods 5%, and brackets it, an endless chain 2Q traveling between the tracks l5 and I6 and passing at the corners around sprockets 2 l, at least one of which is driven by 'a motor 22- through suitable mechanism which will be described in detail hereinbelow. A plurality of cars (not shown in Fig. 1) are attached to the chain at suitable distances apart and are guided by the tracks I5 and I6.

The chain is driven by the motor 22, through a stepped pulley 23, a belt 24, a stepped pulley 25,

a countershaft 26, sprocket 21, chain 28, sprocket 29, and a gear reduction unit 31]. On the unit 30 is supported the yoke 32 which carries the shaft 26, on the ends of which are fixed the pulley 25 and sprocket 2i. supported upon a block or plate 33 carried upon two horizontal bars E8 of the frame. Those sprockets 2|, which are not directly driven by the motor, are each supported upon a similar block or plate 34 also carried by bars Hi. The motor 22 rests on a bed 35 pivotally mounted upon the block 33 and is yieldably held by a tension device 36, which engages both the motor casing and the yoke 32, so that the belt 24 is taut regard less of which steps of the pulleys are engaged.

Mounted at the center of the unit is a main shaft 3? supported by the walls thereof. One end of the shaft 31 projects beyond the unit and on it is fixed a chain driving sprocket 2 l As pointed out above, the unit 30 and its associated parts are mounted upon the plate 33. The sprockets 25 which are not positively driven and are carried by the plates 34 rotate freely upon stub shafts M fixed in such plates (see Figs. 4 and 5). Mounted upon each sprocket 2i are a pair of epicyclic gears which mesh with a stationary gear 8| having twice as many teeth as each gear 8% (in the present instance twelve and six), so that a half rotation of the sprocket causes one and a half rotations of each gear 80. The stationary gear Si is mounted upon a casting 82.

This casting at the gear unit 3% is provided with a bearing which receives the outer end of the shaft 31. The other castings 82 are fixed to the stub shafts M. Formed on each casting 82 is a continuation 84 of the inner tracks, in Fig. 4 the tracks l5, the outer tracks iii in that figure being spaced the proper distances from the extension 84, so that the car travels freely with the chain around the corner. As will be pointed out below, thegears 80 act upon the cars to maintain them at all times in parallel planes.

The. car 85 may be of any type desired for the transportation of material. Figs. 9 to 12 illustrate a car of the finger or paddle type, particularly adapted for the transportation of shoes. Projecting forwardly from a flanged shelf 86 are a plurality of fingers or paddles 8i spaced apart. to receive the uppers of shoes or the cones of the lasts when the shoes are lasted. The paddles are secured to the shelf 86 by screws 88 through apertures 89. As indicated on Fig. 9, there are provided pairs ofapertures 89 for each of the outer paddles. Thus these paddles may be mounted at different distances from the center paddle so as to accommodate shoes of different slze's.

Secured by studs 90 to the back of the shelf 86 is a plate St to which is fixed a gear 92 spaced from the plate 9| by a washer 93. The plate 9| The motor 22 and unit 30 are is substantially rectangular and the gear 92 is mounted at the center thereof. Four rolls 94 carried by the studs 90 adjacent the corners of the plate engage the tracks I5 and I6, as shown in Fig. 8, to insure proper travel of the cars. The gear 92 has a central non-circular hole which receives a boss 95 bolted to the washer 93 and plate SI. Through the center of the boss, washer and plate are openings suitably aligned to receive a sleeve 96. A pin 97 extending through the sleeve 96 connects the car to the chain 20 so that as the chain travels the cars are moved along the track.

It will be noted from the above description that the connection of each car 85 to the chain 20 is centrally located at the back of the shelf and that of each set of four rolls 94 two engage the track I5 and the other two the track I 8 at all times during the travel of the cars except when going around corners. Thus only rolling contacts are provided, and the cars travel with a minimum of frictional resistance.

The cars 85 are at all times in planes parallel to a selected plane, usually horizontal. This position of the cars is maintained as the cars travel around the corners of the track by the interaction of the tracks I5 and IS with the engaging rolls 94, and that of the gear 92 with the epicyclic gears 88. Fig. 8 shows a car in three of the positions, designated respectively 85 85 and 85, which it will take while traveling around a corner of 180 from an upper level to a lower level. As the car approaches the position 85 one of the gears 80 moves into mesh with the gear 92 on the car, and remains in mesh until the car leaves the position 85. Since the gears BI and 92 are fixed against rotation and have the same number of teeth, which is double that of the rotatable gear 88, it will be obvious that the gears will take the various positions shown in Fig. 8. At least two of the rolls 94 are in engagement with the tracks at all times, and such engagement, together with the engagement of a gear 80 with the gear 92, maintains the car in horizontal planes throughout its travel around the corner.

' As a further insurance that the car in position remains horizontal, there is formed on the track it a flange 98 which projects inwardly over and is engaged by rollers 99 carried by the car.

The tracks I5 and I6 arecircular in cross section and made up in sections, each section ex-- tending between a pair of the brackets I9 mounted upon uprights I1 and rods I8. One end of each section terminates in a dowel I60 and the other end of each section is provided with a centrally located pocket I Hi. The tracks can thus be easily assembled, the dowel of each section passing through a hole I02 in a bracket I9 and entering the pocket IIJI of the section at the other side of the bracket.

The plates 34 are, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, secured to the horizontal rods I8 by the coaction of ears H33 and U-bolts I54. In order to take up any slack in the chain 28, devices are provided by which one or more of the plates 34 may be retracted on the rods I8. Clamps I05 secured to the rods I8 adjacent each movable plate, are provided with ears I98 having holes therethrough along axes parallel to the rods I8. Through the rear wall of the plate 34 are formed holes III! in alignment with the holes in the ears I06. Passed through the holes in each ear I06 and through the aligned hole ID! in the plate 34 are adjusting screws I08 which engage nuts I09. By loosening the U-bolts I04 and turning the screws I08 or nuts I09, the plate 34- is retracted until the slack in the chain 20 is taken up. The cars I II] on the plate receive posts II I which connect the plate to the track I6, entering the ears II2 formed thereon. The plate when retracted thus carries with it, by reason of the stub shaft '74, the casting Bland the continuation 84 of the track I5, and also,by reason of the posts III, the tracks I6. This movement of the continuation and tracks causes the end sections thereof to separate from the brackets I9, and the gaps so formed are measured. The chain is then opened, the plate retracted until the dowels I00 leave the bracket I9 and washers II3 of the width of the gaps above-mentioned are slipped over the dowels whereupon the plate is advanced and fixed in position.

Fig. 13 illustrates a portion of a conveyer system having both vertical runs and horizontal runs connected by corners of As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the chain carrying sprockets 22I mounted on the plates 234 are provided with epicyclic gears 280 which mesh with a stationary gear 28E and with the gears 92 fixed to the back of the cars 85 (not here shown). In place of the corner tracks I5 and extension 84 the plates 234 each. carry tracks 38B and 30I, the former connecting the tracks ZIii and the latter connecting the tracks 2I5, being joined thereto in any suitable manner as by the use of dowels and pockets. The tracks 3% and BBI are supported upon the plate 23. 3, the track 390 by the post 3 which engages the ear M2, and the track 3! by the casting 232 which is fixed to a stub shaft 214.

It will be noted that the tracks of the horizontal run are nearer together than the tracks or" the vertical run. This is of course due to the fact that the shelf of the car is rectangular and that the distances taken vertically between the rolls are less than the distances taken horizontally. Furthermore, the cars are'centrally suspended and the chain 20 travels midway between the tracks.

I claim:

1. In a conveyer system wherein cars, impelled by an endless chain to which the cars are secured in spaced relation, travel on parallel tracks mounted in a vertical plane, each of said cars including a shelf having a vertical flange, a substantially rectangular plate fixed to said fiange, rolls mounted between said plate and. said flange and adjacent the corners of said plate for engagement with both said tracks, and a pin at the center of said plate connected to said chain.

2. In a conveyer system wherein cars, impelled by an endless chain to which the cars are secured in spaced relation, travel on parallel tracks mounted in a vertical plane, each of said cars including a shelf having a vertical flange, a substantially rectangular plate fixed to said flange, a stationary gear at the center of said plate and having a central hole therein, a pin fixed at one end to said plate extending through the hole in the gear and connected at the other end to said chain, and rolls mounted between said plate and said flange and adjacent the corners of said plate for engagement with both said tracks.

JOHN E. REGAN. 

